Saturday, December 5, 2026, 7pm.
Mark your calendars for the next main Banjo Astro After Dark event – another awesome night of songs and science!
We’ll have reflections and a new set of original songs inspired by the matter between the stars, the stuff hiding in the dark.
Don’t miss it, and invite your friends too! We’ll look forward to seeing you.
November 7, 14, 21 — 10am to 12:30pm. 4635 N Rockwell St, Chicago, IL 60625
Song writing, wonder, and connecting with the universe!
In this workshop we’ll cultivate personal writing routines that both help process the world around us and communicate our experience to others.
Over the course of the three workshop sessions Luke will present and moderate discussions on astronomy and our place in the cosmos, and Jonas will lead the group through writing exercises that turn questions and insights into song lyrics. Both experienced writers and first timers are welcome!
Participants leave with a finished song — and an invitation to perform it at Banjo Astro After Dark. You’ll also get early access to the upcoming BAAD book, notes to take home, and a fully personalized experience!
Workshop cost is $297.
Sunday, September 20, 3pm
Join us for a musical and scientific celebration of Chicagohenge – the dramatic meeting of astronomy and architecture announcing the season’s change. “Chicagohenge” is when the bright orange rays of sunset and sunrise fall directly down Chicago’s east-west streets, and happens only twice a year: at the spring and fall equinoxes.
In this event astronomer Dr. Luke Leisman and musicians from The Parsnip Factory will take a deep dive into the astronomy and history of Chicagohenge, weaving together songs and science exploring the theme, and its connection to our lives. Through the process we’ll learn how best to view the upcoming fall 2026 Chicagohenge, and connect to a long tradition of marking time and place through the motions of the sun, from ancient monuments to the skyscrapers of the Loop.
Saturday, August 15, 7pm – Third Space in Lakeview (716 W Addison St, Chicago, IL 60613). BAAD is going on the road – with a performance in Lakeview! Join us for the next installment of BAAD – a night of science mixed with songs as we seek wonder and meaning in the universe. Mark your calendars now.
We’ve got a great lineup of songwriters, and Luke will be filling in the spaces with reflections on astronomical coordinate systems (the most boring topic in astronomy? We’ll see about that!).
Our awesome performers this time are: Marian Runk, Justin Birnbaum, Chuck Cox, Rebecca Jasso, Ryan Burns, and Katelyn Leisman
One other note: we won’t have food or drinks provided, but you are welcome to bring your own.
We’ll look forward to seeing you there!
Sunday, June 7 at 6pm
Mark your calendars for the next main Banjo Astro After Dark event – another awesome night of songs and science!
We’ll dive deep into cosmic superclusters and voids with an fantastic new set of songwriters performing original songs inspired by the theme. Rumor has it there will even be a musical saw!
Our lineup this time includes: Annalee Koehn, Gary Glazner, Mary Pounder, Becky Bloom, Doris Broderick, John Elmquist, and Wren Eisenhauer.
Don’t miss it, and invite your friends too!
May 4, 11, 18 — 7 to 9pm. 4635 N Rockwell St, Chicago, IL 60625
Three evenings of song writing, wonder, and connecting with the universe!
Over the course of the three workshop sessions Luke will present and moderate discussions on various inspiring astronomy topics, and Jonas will lead the group through writing exercises that turn questions and insights into song lyrics. The goal is to create a personal writing routine that can help process the world around us and communicate our experience to others. Both experienced writers and first timers are welcome!
Participants leave with a finished song — and an invitation to perform it at Banjo Astro After Dark. You’ll also get early access to the upcoming BAAD book, notes to take home, and a fully personalized experience!
Workshop cost is $297.
May 15-17, 2026 at White Oak Savanna
Join us for Songs & Science, a three-day retreat celebrating creativity in nature. Write songs under open skies, explore the wonders of the cosmos, and connect art and discovery through workshops, performances, and hands-on science. Participants in the retreat will have the option to present work at future Banjo Astro After Dark events! Cost is $40 for the weekend, $20 for camping. Register and more details at the White Oak Savanna Sanctuary page.
Saturday, March 7, 7 PM, at Borelli’s Pizza
Another amazing night of music, science and pizza! We’ll have performances of original songs by local song writers, interspersed with short mediations on the astronomical theme of the Tidal Force, the invisible pull that shapes oceans, galaxies, and maybe even our lives.
Saturday, February 7, 5-8 PM, upstairs at the Beat Kitchen
Join us for the first ever Art & Science Jam with Jonas Friddle and Dr. Luke Leisman! This is a participatory, free-flowing evening where space facts inspire tunes and tunes inspire space facts. Come play, learn, and join the creative process!
November 8, 2025, 7:00pm at Borelli’s Pizza!
An amazing night of music, science and pizza! We’ll have performances of 7 original songs by local song writers, interspersed with short mediations from Dr. Luke Leisman on the astronomical theme of the Cosmic Distance Ladder. It’s one of my favorite nights of the year! You don’t want to miss it!
P.S. Interested in this image? NGC 4258 contains the keys to the cosmos — learn why on November 8!